Bangor district will be added to National Register of Historic Places

The borough's historic district was approved by the Pennsylvania Preservation Bureau to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to The Express-Times of Easton.

The June 10 approval means the designation now goes before the National Parks Service for consideration within 45 days, according to a news release from Sharon Davis, Main Street manager of the Slate Belt Community Partnership. Davis characterized approval from the Parks Service as a formality.

Third Avenue is the northernmost tip of the district, which stretches as far south as a part of South Main Street, according to a map presented to the borough in April. The district doesn't include the western, newer part of the borough, Davis said.

The district contains 1,300 properties including the quarry. The Century House at First and Market streets and the stone bridge on North Main Street are already nationally recognized landmarks, Davis said.

"Bangor has always been the center of commerce in the Slate Belt," Davis said in the release. "Our listing on the National Register of Historic Places bestows recognition on Bangor's importance in the development of the slate industry, the neighborhoods that grew around the ethnic groups who came to work in the slate quarries and the subsequent garment factories."

The Bangor Historic District joins Pen Argyl's carousel, listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks, and Wind Gap's Appalachian Trail head as focal points to the area, Davis said.

She said she is beginning to work on getting markers for the district.

A walking tour of the historic buildings in Bangor is also in development with the help of Totts Gap Art Institute and a tourism grant from the county, Davis said.

She said she received a lot of support through emails from borough residents, the Express-Times reports.

While at the Pennsylvania Preservation Bureau meeting on June 10 she spoke of the collaborative efforts it took to get the borough on the national register.

In 2011, the borough received two grants totaling $25,000 to hire a consultant to help complete the application to be considered for the registry, Davis said, and the application process started in 2012.

The historic district designation would make tax credits available for owners of commercial or large residential rental projects, Davis said. The designation doesn't prohibit homeowners from modifying their homes.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., pushed for Bangor to be placed on the register in May, according to The Express-Times.

"Bangor has a rich history that speaks to the important industrial progress made in Pennsylvania's Slate Belt region during the 19th and 20th centuries," he said.

Davis said in the release the historic district will serve as the foundation for the Main Street efforts to preserve and promote the architectural and cultural heritage of the core communities of the Slate Belt.